Boiler



y 1946. e. 'N. STRIKE 2,400,174

BOILER Filed Sept. 18, 1944 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Arrow/Ev Patented May 14,1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOILER George N. Strike, Los Angeles,Calif.

Application September 18, 1944, Serial No. 554,598

4 Claims.

This invention relatesto boilers and more especially to a small boilerof the type for producing steam for small laundries.

An object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical andefficient boiler of the character described.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved boiler ofrelatively small dimensions, particularly adapted for producing steamfor use in laundries and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a boiler of thecharacter described, a novel means of construction particularly adaptedfor replacement of damaged or worn parts.

An additional object is to provide in a boiler of the characterdescribed a tube type heating element wherein damaged or worntubes maybe individually removed and replaced without interference with othertubes.

A further object is to provide in a boiler of the character described anovel type of tubular heating element and means for removal andreplacement thereof without interference with other tubular heatingelements.

Still other objects of my invention include providing such means thatare positive in operation, convenient in use, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability,

The invention also comprises novel details, of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description, However, the drawings merelyshow and the following description merely describes embodiments of thepresent invention, which is given by way of illustration'or exampleonly,

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts inthe several views.

Fig. l is an elevation view, partly in section, showing an embodiment ofmy invention, the section being taken substantially along the line 1-!of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, the section being takenalong the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in central section showing one of the tubesand means of attachment of the same to the header.

Fig. 4 is an elevation view in central section of a modified form of myinvention.

i Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in central section of a modified form oftubular heating element.

Fig. 6 is an end view of the tube shown in Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I show a boiler comprising asuitable housing ill of heat insulating material, the embodiment shownbeing substantially rectangular and having a bottom I'l mounted on legsl2 and having a top wall I3 suitably provided with an opening incommunication with a smoke pipe or stack It. The housing iil provides acombustion chamber and has a suitable door It in a wall thereof, thedoor being provided with hinges l1 and latching means |B A burner l9,such as a gas burner, is provided in combustion chamber l5 and may besuitably connected to a fuel inlet pipe having a valve 2|,

I show a water and steam header 22 positioned within housing Ill andwhich extends vertically along a wall opposite door 16, the headerhaving an inner Wall 23 provided with a plurality of flanges 24 havingthreaded openings 25 therein. Flanges 24 are arranged in horizontalrows, the flanges of each row being staggered with respect to theflanges of the adjacent rows, and a heating tube or pipe 26 providedwith a threaded open end 21 is secured by threaded portion 25 thereofwithin each flange 24 and extends horizontally across the combustionchamber l5 and has a closed end 28 adjacent door l6. End 28 may beformed by welding a disc or plug to pipe 26, or the pipe may be formedwith an integral closed end. Header 22 is provided near the bottom witha water inlet pipe 29 which extends through an openingin housing [0 andprovided with a shutoffvalve 30. A steam outlet pipe 3| is similarlysecured at the top of header 22 and provided with a valve 32.

The operation of the invention should be obvious from the foregoingdescription, Water supplied to header or water leg 22 through pipe 29fills the same to a desired water level, as shown, above the top row ofheating tubes 26 and the tubes become filled with water being incommunication with the header through flanges 24. Heat is supplied tocombustion chamber i5 from burner l9 and the hot gases rise therein pastand between the tubes 26 in an eflicient manner for transferring theheat to the tubes 26 and the contained water, thus forming steam inheader 22 above the water level which may be conducted away for usethrough pipe 3|. The pipes 26 are shown to be so secured in flanges 24as to be individually removed by unscrewing therefrom and being replacedwith new tubes whenever any of the tubes become damaged from use, suchas by corrosion or cracking, and replaced by other tubes withoutinterference from or with any of the adjacent tubes. Furthermore, thetube structure is such that when door I6 is opened, ready access to thetubes is provided for cleaning or replacing. there being no caps, plugsor flanges at the outer ends of the tubes adjacent door [6.

In Figures 4 to 6 I show a modified form of my invention wherein isshown a boiler 40, preferably, though not necessarily rectangular inform, having side walls 41 and end walls 42 provided with doors 43hinged at 44 and provided with latching means 45, the walls forming acombustion chamber 45. A water and steam header 4'! is positioned incombustion chamber 45 and extends transversely between walls H and has awater inlet 48 and a steam outlet as.

Header 41 is preferably rectangular in form and has oppositely disposedwalls 50 to which the heating elements are secured. Walls 50 areprovided with a plurality of threaded openings 5i in each of which isthreadedly secured a bushing 52 which may extend inwardly and be provided with a supplemental securing means, such as welds 54. A threadednipple 55 is secured to each bushing 52 and may be run on the threadedportion thereof to engage walls 50 to provide a very tight connectionwith the bushing. A tubular heating element 55 is threaded at 5'! intoeach nipple 55, and the other end of each element 56 is positionedimmediately within one of the doors 43. Tubular members 56 have openouter ends provided with interior threads 58 in which a threaded plug 59may be secured, the plugs being each provided with a longitudinal boss69 or an equivalent formation by which a tool, such as a 1 wrench, maybe applied for tightening er loosening the plugs as occasion mayrequire.

As shown, tubular elements 56 are arranged in rows on each side ofheader 4?, and a burner Si is shown positioned under each group ofheating elements 56 within combustion chamber 46, the exhaust gases fromwhich may be discharged through a stack 62. I also provide one or moresafety plugs 63 in header 4? which plugs will give way should anexcessive pressure develop in the header.

From the description of the invention, as set forth in Figures 4 to 6,it will be clear that tubular elements 56 may be individually removablefrom bushings 55 and header 4'! through doors 43. It should also beclear that should the threaded connection between heating elements 56and nipples 55 become damaged after a number of replacements, orotherwise, nipples 55 may be individually removed from bushings 52, andreplacement nipples substituted. It should also be obvious that plugs 59may be individually removed, and scale removed from the interior oftubular elements 55, thus extending the life of the tubes and postponingthe eventual time of replacement thereof.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as thepreferred embodiments of my invention, the construction is, of course,subject ito modifications without departing from the spirit and. scopeof my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to theparticular forms of construction illustrated and described, but desireto avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A boiler comprising a combustion chamber having a door, a header insaid combustion chamber providing a water leg, an inlet to and an outletfrom said leg, said header having a plurality of externally threadednipples extending within said combustion chamber, couplings threadedlyengaging said nipples, and a series of pipes threading in said couplingsand having their free ends extending toward said door, said pipes havingplugs within the free ends thereof to close same, and said plugsprovided with extensions projecting beyond the ends of said pipes.

2. A boiler comprising a housing having a combustion chamber, a headertherein in spaced relation to a plurality of wall portions of saidchamber and forming a water leg having an inlet and an outlet, saidheader having a plurality of openings in a wall thereof and threadedsockets about said openings and extending within said combustionchamber, a plurality of pipes extending from said header toward one ofsaid wall portions, said pipes having threaded ends for detachableconnection with said sockets, said pipes having removable plugs withinthe free ends thereof provided with extensions for a wrench.

3. A boiler comprising a housing having a combustion chamber, a door ina wall of the housing, a header therein in spaced relation to aplurality of wall portions and forming a water leg, said header havingopenings in a wall thereof and externally threaded sockets in saidopenings, a burner in said chamber, a plurality of pipes extending fromsaid header toward said door, said pipes each having means fordetachable connection to said header, said means including a couplingsecured to said sockets, and removable plugs in the free ends of saidpipes.

4. A boiler comprising a housing having a combustion chamber, a door ina wall of the housing, a header therein in spaced relation to aplurality of wall portions of said chamber and forming a water leg, aplurality of pipes extending from said header toward said door, the freeends of said pipes having removable plugs, said pipes each having meansfor detachable connection to said header, said means including a bushingsecured to said header and a coupling secured to said bushing.

GEORGE N. STRIKE.

